1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toothbrush and more particularly to a toothbrush that brushes all teeth simultaneously.
2. Description of the Related Art
The toothbrush is an oral hygiene instrument used to remove plaque, clean teeth and stimulate the gums. The standard manual toothbrush consists of a bristled head attached to a handle, where the bristled head is only capable of cleaning a small area at a time. The recommend way to manually brush teeth is to use the Bass method, whereby the toothbrush is held such that the bristles are angled at a forty five degree angle to the long axis of the tooth and moved back and forth in short, quick strokes. This motion requires a certain level of dexterity often absent in the very young, the elderly and people with physical or mental limitations. Additionally, it is up to the user to ensure that each tooth surface is adequately cleaned. Since this is hard to determine, it is recommended that a person should brush for at least two minutes to effectively clean all the surfaces of his or her teeth. Unfortunately, many people do not have a good way to time their brushing routine and do not realize how long they have actually been brushing, thus resulting in shorter brushing sessions that fail to adequately remove plaque from all surfaces.
An electric toothbrush uses electric power to either move individual bristles ultrasonically or to move a brush head rapidly. By providing some motion electrically, electric toothbrushes augment the normal brushing capabilities of a person. Some electric toothbrushes even include a timer feature and/or automatically turn off after a set amount of time, like two minutes, in order to guide the user to use the toothbrush for the full recommended time. Though these capabilities encourage proper brushing, standard electric toothbrushes still require a user to move the toothbrush from tooth to tooth and to manipulate the toothbrush onto the surface of each tooth as only a small area of the mouth can be cleaned at once. As with a manual toothbrush, a person with limited manual dexterity may find using an electric toothbrush difficult or impossible because of the manipulation required to properly reach every tooth surface.
Regardless of whether a person uses a manual or an electric toothbrush, a person who is rushed, too tired, or physically or mentally impaired may not spend the recommended time brushing his or her teeth. He or she may also not be willing or able to adequately manipulate the toothbrush. Both of these deficiencies could result in inadequate toothbrushing and could lead to dental caries and gum disease.